Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

In October 1907 an article in the paper about the Fremantle Workers’ Day Holiday, procession and sports lists Alister as gaining First Prize in the Children Under 15 category of both the Highland Fling and Sword Dance competitions.

In 1909, he was mentioned in another article on Tuesday May 18 as a participant in the Plain and Fancy Dress Ball in aid of the children’s ward in Fremantle Hospital. He was dressed as a Highlander.

On the 11.9.1914, he enlisted at Blackboy Hill, listing his Next of Kin as his father, William Steele of 20 John St Fremantle. Aged 19 y 6 m, he was 5.4” tall, had fair complexion, hazel eyes, and brown hair. He was a Presbyterian. He was posted to #2 Australian Stationary Hospital.

A letter he wrote to the army in 1968 (and included in his Service record) enquiring about the procedure for the issue of the Gallipoli medal details what happened next in his own words: 

1.      Enlisted 9.9.1914 with 2nd Aust. Stationary Hospital WA.

2.      Sailed from WA 14.12.1914 on Hospital Ship Kyarra

3.      Trained at Mena Camp Egypt 12.1.15 to 12.4.15

4.      Sailed in Troop shop A38 from Alexandria 12.4.15

5.      Sailed for Gallipoli from Lemnos

6.      Arrived at Anzac on the morning of 15.4.15. Owing to the Army only being able to land one Field Hospital at Anzac the 2nd Stationary Hospital was broken up into various Medical squads and placed on various troop transports loading wounded and caring for same pending their departure for Alexandria.

In the capacity of a Medical detail I was at Anzac from 25.1.15 to 6.6.15 with two exceptions when I went to Alexandria with wounded on the troopship Glouster Castle and the Troopship Franconia other than these two exceptions, I was at Anzac until 6.6.15. The 2nd Stationary Hospital was reassembled at Lemnos Island as a Field hospital about the 7 or 8 January 1915 and I rejoined my unit and remained with it until the evacuation of Gallipoli and our return Egypt in Jan 1916.

My war service continued on in France until 28.8.1918 when I was last wounded. I saw no further service and was returned to Australia on 1914 furlough  on the 4.12.18 on the Troopship Port Hacking which arrived at Albany on 19.1.1919:

(Signed) AM Steele

Late 1263 2nd ASH and 2nd F Amb

AIF”

An advertisement in the local papers in 1933 detail that tenders were being called for the purchase of Nelson Location 9242 in the name of Alister Steele. This lot is 11 miles north of Boyup Brook and includes land, 2 dams, chain netting and wire fencing. It is described as “chiefly redgum and jarrah country, sandy, gravelly soil and hilly ridges, jarrah, good grazing and pasture land, suitable for feed and sub. clover growing; 122 acres part cleared”.

Alister Macrae Steele Died on the 5.2.1972 aged 76 in Mount Pleasant, a suburb of Perth. He was buried in the Fremantle Cemetery, Presbyterian section IA grave number 0546. He is also commemorated on a Plaque in the WA Garden of Remembrance.  

references:

Alister's digitised War Service record from the Australian National Archives, including a letter written by him

Western Australian Cemeteries Deceased Portal

Trove digitised newspapers:  The Evening Mail (Fremantle, WA : 1905 - 1910) Tuesday 22 October 1907

 The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) Tuesday 18 May 1909

Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954) Sunday 3 September 1933